Father's Day 2014

A real man is not a self-centered or self-absorbed. A real man is a godly man, a man who is self-sacrificing and others centered. He will be a man of prayer and the word of God. This man will serve his family with Christ-like love and joyful obedience as an example of Jesus. This real man will go against the grain of this world….he will fight the good fight of faith..are you that man?

PSALM 112.1 Praise ye The Lord. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man that feareth (reveres and worships) The Lord, that delighteth greatly in His commandments.

1 CORINTHIANS 16.13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

1 TIMOTHY 6.11,12 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

Because I am going to be covering the biblical order for the home and the biblical roles of the husband and wife in a Christian marriage from Ephesians 5 in a few weeks, I have decided this morning to make an appeal to all the men reading this blog to make a firm resolution to take a stand for Jesus by being a no-nonsense, God fearing, Christ loving, Spirit filled man, be it as a husband, father or single man for the glory of God.

So while this message may indeed be more directed towards married men and fathers, I appeal to every man to hear what The Spirit is saying to them.

Just like an egg can be fried, scrambled, boiled or poached, I am going to be serving the same things regarding being a Christ-loving husband and father over and over; but I pray that God would take these truths and write them with His finger upon each and every heart of each and every man today.

Last week I mentioned that there are 2 spirits shaping the course of mankind today. One is the spirit of this world. The other is The Spirit of the Living God. The one spirit is molding you into a “man of the world.” The Holy Spirit is molding you into the image of Jesus Christ. These two spirits are as opposite to each other as day and night. The one is antichrist and self-centered; the other is Jesus Christ and God-centered, plain and simple. You cannot be a “man of the world” and a “man of God” at the same time, any more than you can have two masters.

Men, one of those two spirits, either the spirit of the world or the Spirit of God is shaping your ideas behind what it means to be a husband or a father.
I will say this again in a moment, but let me say here and now that I believe that The Scriptures alone provide us the picture of what it means to be a Christ-exalting, God-fearing husband and father. The picture that we are given in Scripture of what it means to be a godly husband is found in the example of how Christ loves the church and gave Himself for her. The main purpose of being a husband is to reveal the redeeming love and kindness of Jesus Christ.

This consistent, Christ-like example of love and kindness will cause a woman to bloom and blossom in her role as a wife and mother, just like the love and kindness of Christ inspires you to bloom and blossom. The picture of what it means to be a godly father is found in example of the fatherhood of God and how He deals with His children. This Christ-like example of fatherhood will inspire your son and daughter to desire God and want to follow and please Him.

Did you ever see the Marine recruiting ad on television? The Marines are looking for a few good men? Father’s, men, young men, old men. The King of Kings Jesus Christ is looking for godly men, and in particular, men who will take their biblical role to glorify Him in the workplace, the home and in the church seriously.

2 Chronicles 16.9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect (wholeheartedly devoted to Him) toward Him.

What is a perfect heart? It is not a sinless heart.

It is a heart that is complete – not divided

It is a heart that is wholehearted- no rival affections.

It is a heart that has one agenda in life, and that is to bring glory and honor to God in everything.

In other words, a perfect heart is a heart that filters every single aspect and decision of our lives through the lens of God’s purposes, plans and desires for me. Does this please God? Does this honor God? Does this reflect Jesus Christ? The daily prayer of the man whose heart is perfect towards God is that his heart and life would be in alignment with the plans and purposes of God.

Married men, today I admonish you in the gracious and wonderful Name of The Lord Jesus Christ to once again recognize your God-given role as head and leader of your home. I exhort you today to rise up and lead your family in the things of The Lord.

I admonish you to take the lead in molding your family and it’s priorities by The Spirit of God, and not by the spirit of this world. Mold your family around biblical, kingdom of God values, not worldly, temporal values.

Men, when you sit down and do your family planning, do you fill your family calendar around the perspective of seek ye first the kingdom of God? Or do you plan everything else first, and if there is room or time, fit in the things that are near and dear to the heart of God.

I say this to you my fellow brothers in Christ because the very foundations of biblical order of headship in the home and kingdom family values as they are so clearly laid out in the bible are being portrayed today as being archaic and do not “fit into” this liberal, secualr society that we live in.

There is a lot that can be said of the tragic consequences of the women’s lib movement. But one of the arguments for “rethinking” headship in the home and fathering is due to the fact that there have been countless abusive or absentee husbands and fathers. Of course there will always be the unfortunate and unacceptable examples of abusive or tyranical and insecure husbands and fathers; but that does not negate or change the biblical ideal set out for husbands and fathers as is set before us in the Word of God.

Wives, you are not called by God to be the head of your home, your husband is. Dear wives, let me remind you once again that your role in the covenant of marriage is to be your husband’s helpmeet, not his head.

Children are to line up under the guidelines of their parents, and in particular, the father, who is the God appointed head of the home.

According to God’s Word, the husband/father is the man of the house, the Head of the wife. He is the leader of the family. We are to lead our wives and children lovingly and passionately. We are to lead our wives and children decisively and in the power and wisdom of The Holy Spirit.

We are to make sure that all that our families do is done for the glory and honor of Jesus Christ.

I trust that every wife, son and daughter here today realizes that even the best Christian man on earth falls far short of being the perfect father and husband. But you have the potential to make being a husband or a father a delight or a disaster.

As Christian men, I believe all human fatherhood should be patterned on the divine fatherhood. The overarching guide for every father who professes to know The Lord Jesus Christ should be to live in such a way that his children can see what God the Father is like. They ought to see in their human father a reflection—albeit imperfect—of the heavenly Father in his strength and tenderness, in his wrath and mercy, in his exaltation and condescension, in his surpassing wisdom and patient guidance. The task of every human father is to be for his children an image the Father in heaven.

Psalm 103:13 Like as a father pitieth (shows compassion to) his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

God created fatherhood in His own image. Men, good fathering points to God. It points children to God, it points wives to God, it points coworkers to God, it points fellow church members to God, it points relatives to God. The main purpose of fathering is to reveal the fatherhood of God. I believe that the greatest mission for every single Christian father is to unveil and model the example and truth of Jesus Christ to their children. In fact, one of the greatest commands in all of Scripture is the command for fathersto bring them up (train them) in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.Eph 6.4
Fellow husbands and grandfathers, we cannot bring up our children in the nurture and admonition of The Lord if we ourselves are making it a priority in our lives to walk in the nurture and admonition of The Lord.

To be the kind of fathers and husbands who have an impact upon our homes, we need to be daily looking at the example of The Fatherhood of God. As fathers, I believe that we are to learn how to treat our children by seeing how God treats His children. To some extent, our children will grow up getting a picture of the Fatherhood of God by watching their fathers. We see this in the study of the kings of Israel and Judah. Fathers, your daughters to some degree will grow up learning about the kind of husband to look for by watching how you love and treat your wife, their mother.

Brothers, being a father and husband is a huge calling that will have an impact on future generations. It is not a calling that is to take a back seat to any career or hobby. Gentlemen, to a certain extent, God holds us PRIMARILY responsible for the spiritual condition of our families. There are too many men in the body of Christ that are abdicating or ignoring their responsibilities as fathers and putting the brunt of providing and nurturing their children to their wives.

1 Timothy 5:8 says, But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

Even though the context of that verse is referring to financial provision for the family, unfortunately, too many men, including professing Christian men, express their role as father exclusively in terms of financial provider. The fact is men, our wives and children are not only looking for financial provision; they are looking for love, guidance, and a role model for what it means to be a man who is following Jesus Christ. Providing for your family means much more than simply putting bread on the table. It includes the provision of all the elements of a Christ-like home: teaching and modeling God’s Word in an atmosphere of love, grace, patience, loving discipline, understanding, and encouragement. This would also include modeling biblical values, priorities, and pursuits.

I believe that providing for our family includes driving into their hearts and minds by word and example that the real meaning in life is that we have an “as unto The Lord” mentality in every thing that we say and do. Dads, do not hide your light under a bushel. Fathers that openly and vocally bless The Lord should be typical in the church today, but I fear that they are rare. Fathers, husbands, please do not underestimate the power of your vocal and visible love for and devotion for Jesus Christ.

Dads and husbands, let your children and wife hear you openly bless The Lord. Let them hear you pray. Let them see you read your bible. Let them hear you witness of His greatness and power. Let them see you serve The Lord. Let them see you go to a prayer meeting or a midweek service even when you are bone tired after a difficult day at work. If you don’t live and act like Christ has your heart (howbeit it imperfect), why should your wife and children even consider giving them their hearts?

There are three basic and key ingredients of a successful father in the home: Leadership, Love and Loyalty.

Leadership in the family in spiritual and moral values which sets the course of the family for life.

Love that is not only stated, but shown and passed on to the children will set the course of the family for life.

Loyalty that sets the stage for trust and builds relationships that are strong for the times of testing that are sure to come as the family matures. The investment of these three ingredients will yield their sweet fruit for years to come.

Proverbs 20:7 states, “The Just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.” One of the great joys of the ministry is to see men set a Godly example of Love, Loyalty and Leadership and watch their children follow their walk in integrity. One of the great heartaches of the ministry is to watch men make the fatal mistake of not applying these things and face the ruin that follows.

Proverbs 17:6 states, “Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.” Here are some things that make a father the glory of his children.

They watch him live by faith consistently. Hebrews 11.6

They watch him serve The Lord with gladness persistently. Psalm 100.2

They watch him treating his wife tenderly and lovingly. Eph. 5:25,28-29; 1 Pet.3:7

They watch him conduct his affairs at home, in the church and in the world honestly. 2 Cor.8:21; Rom. 13:13

They watch him worship God and diligently seek Him in prayer, in His Word fervently. John 4:23-24

They watch him help others graciously. Gal. 6:10; 1 Tim. 6:17-19

They watch him love the LORD supremely. John 14:21-24

To all fathers and grandfathers in our church family….listen to Psalm 78

Ps 78:5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: 6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: 7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

Parenting and grandparenting is meant to declare the wondrous works of God in such a way that our children and grandchildren learn to set their hope in God, not money, not fame, not religion.Parenting and grandparenting is meant to tell children to obey God and leave all of the consequences to Him.

The most blessed man on planet earth is the man that fears The Lord and walks in His ways. Psalm 128 Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in His ways…..men, yield to The Spirit of God, and not the spirit of this world.

This Father’s Day – as you think of your earthly father or the father of your children – I want you to think of the One who loves you more than any other father. Think of the One who tells us in His Word that we can call Him “Daddy” (Romans 8:15). God Almighty loved you so much He sent His Only Begotten Son to die in your place (and thereby pay the required penalty for your sins), it order that you, by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ might receive eternal life. Will you receive Him this morning as your Lord?

And what does He require of you in return? Jesus himself said the ‘greatest commandment’ – the one thing God requires of us – is that we “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37).